Device for dispensing material from a collapsible tube



2 Sheets-Sheet l A. E. BORKENHAGEN ETAL DEVICE FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL FROM A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Nov. 23, 1965 Filed May s, 1963 Pm/v4 4%? d Anew 6 Ema 6am a), ,1%/4V5 V III/II I IIII'II.

- Nov. 23, 1965 A. E. BORKENHAGEN ETAL 3,219,233

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL FROM A GOLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed May 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fzy'i INV M na/s United States Patent 3,219,238 DEVICE FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL FROM A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Alfred E. Borkenhagen, 25 E. Somo Ave., Tomahawk, Wis., and Dean A. Grube, Hefford Junction, Wis. Filed May 3, 1963, Ser. No. 277,781 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-100) The present invention relates to a device for dispensing material from a collapsible tube.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing material such as toothpaste when contained in a collapsible tube.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a. device for dispensing paste or the like from a collapsible tube which device is easily and with facility operated.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing material from a collapsible tube which completely and easily dispenses all of the material from the tube with little effort on the part of the user.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing material such as toothpaste from a collapsible tube which lends itself to installation on a table, one which may be fastened to a wall surface, one which is neat and attractive in appearance, and one which is readily and with facility dismantled for easy cleaning.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description When taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the device according to the present invention, the dotted line showing indicating the movement of a means for pressing the tube in a roller,

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a side view in cross section showing in dotted lines a tube partially collapsed and in a condition of use,

FIGURE 4 is an end view in elevation of the device shown without the tube installed therein,

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the device according to a modification thereof,

FIGURE 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5, the toothpaste tube shown in FIGURE 5 being removed therefrom,

FIGURE 7 is a view in section in a direction opposite to FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG- URE 5.

With reference to the drawings in detail, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, and with particular reference to FIGURES 1 to 4, inclusive, the device of the present invention comprises an open top housing 10 having a base 12 and parallel spaced side walls 14 and 16.

The base 12 is secured by adhesive or other means to a reinforcing plate 18 which is adapted to rest upon a supporting surface or to be secured to a wall surface.

A roller 20 provided with a slot 22 extending longitudinally thereof is journaled in the side walls 14 and 16 as shown most clearly in FIGURE 2.

A knob 24 is secured by a set screw 26 to the portion of the roller 20 exteriorly of the side Wall 16.

Means is provided for pressing against the portion of a collapsible tube 28 adjacent the roller 20 when the flattened end portion of the tube 28 is received within the slot 22, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3.

This means consists in a plate 30 rockably mounted upon an axle which extends parallel to and spaced from the roller 20. The axis of rotation of the plate 30 is a rod 32 which has its end portions journaled in the walls 14 and 16 as shown in FIGURE 1. The plate is secured by welding or brazing as at 34 (FIGURE 3), to the rod 32.

The present invention provides means for effecting the movement of the plate 30 so as to press against the tube 28 when the roller 20 is rotated so as to squeeze the material from the open end of the tube 28. This means consists in a tapered wedge element 36 rotatably mounted upon a rivet 38 which extends through the base 12.

The wedge element 36 has one leg 40 resting upon the base 12 and the other leg 42 vertical and tapering from one end to the other. As shown most clearly in FIGURE 3, the lower end of the plate 30 rests upon the upper end of the leg 42.

In use, a squeeze roller 44 is detachably mounted in the end walls 14 and 16 and a tube such as the tube 28 is inserted between the squeeze roller 44 and the plate 30 and its flattened end is received in the slot 22. Upon rolling movement of the roller 20 the plate 30 presses against the tube 28 to squeeze the contents therefrom and the plate 30 may be shifted so that its lower end portion presses more tightly against the roller 44 by shifting the Wedge element 36 from the full line position to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 1.

This provision of the wedge element 36 insures that all of the contents are dispensed from the tube 28 when the roller 20 is rotated.

With reference to FIGURES 5 to 8, inclusive, a second form of the invention is shown in which the numeral 46 represent-s the base of a housing 48 having spaced parallel side walls 50 and 52.

A roller 54 is journaled for rotation in the side walls 50 and 52 and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 56. A plate 58 is mounted in the side walls 50 and 52 for rotation about an axis parallel to and spaced from the roller 54. The plate 58 has its midportion mounted upon a rod 60 having its ends journaled in the walls 50 and 52 as shown most clearly in FIGURE 7. The plate 58 is secured by welding or brazing as at 62 to the rod 60.

Spring means is provided biasing the plate 58- for rocking movement about the rod 60 as an axis so that the lower end portion 64 bears against the roller 54 to squeeze contents from a collapsible tube 66 when the latter has its flattened end portion received in the slot 56 in the roller 54.

This spring means consists in a spring 66 having a portion adjacent one end, as at 68, bearing against the upper face of the base 46 and the portion 78 at the other end bearing against the lower face of the plate portion 64, as shown most clearly in FIGURE 8. The spring 66 is provided in its intermediate portion with at least one convolution, as at 72, receiving therethrough a rod 74 which has its ends journaled in the housing side walls 50 and 52. As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 there are two such springs 66 although one could serve as well if found practical.

The roller 54 is rotated by means of a handle 76 and when the end portion of a tube such as the tube 66 is received in the slot 56, rotation of the roller 54 will wind the tube to expel the contents therefrom with pressure being applied to the tube by the plate portion 64 as biased upwardly against the tube 54 by the action of the spring 66.

It will be seen therefore that in each of the forms of the invention means is provided for expelling the contents from the respective tube such means being the plate 30 in the first embodiment and the plate 58 in the second embodiment with hand actuable means constituted by the wedge element 36 and spring means constituted by the springs 66 for shifting the respective plate 30 or 58 toward and away from the respective roller 54 or 44.

While only preferred forms of the invention are shown and described, it is intended that other forms of the invention may be constructed and that numerous changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for holding a collapsible tube and expelling the contents therefrom comprising a housing having parallel spaced side walls and a pair of rollers having their ends mounted in said side walls for rotation about their own axis, one of said rollers having a longitudinally extending slot adapted to receive therein the closed flattened end portion of said collapsible tube, a guide plate pivotally mounted from, said side walls for rocking movement about its axis positioned parallel to and spaced from said one roller, the other roller positioned and spaced contiguous to and in cooperative relation to said guide plate for squeezing from said collapsible tub-e its contents as it progressively moves therethrough, said guide plate having the portion adjacent one end contiguous to said one roller, and means for effecting the movement of said guide plate so that said contiguous end plate portion bears against said collapsible tube when its end portion thereof is received in said slot in said one roller.

2. A device for holding a collapsible tube and expelling the contents therefrom comprising a housing having parallel spaced side Walls and a pair of rollers having their ends mounted in said side walls for rotation about their own axis, one of said rollers having a longitudinally extending slot adapted to receive therein the closed fiattened end portion of said collapsible tube, a guide plate mounted for rocking movement from said side walls about its axis disposed parallel to and spaced from said one roller, the other roller positioned and spaced contiguous to and in cooperative relation to said guide plate for squeezing from said collapsible tube its contents as it progressively is moved therethrough, said guide plate having the portion adjacent one end contiguous to said one roller, and hand actuable means for effecting the movement of said guide plate so that said plate portion bears against said collapsible tube when the flattened end portion thereof is received in said slot in said one roller for pressing the guide plate to aid in the expelling of the contents of said collapsible tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,194,882 3/1940 Bamber 222102 2,542,678 2/1951 Keefer 222-98 2,726,015 12/1955 Poock 22298 FOREIGN PATENTS 114,347 12/ 1941 Australia. 283,738 10/ 1913 Germany.

LOUIS J. DEM'BO, Primary Examiner.

0 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR HOLDING A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND EXPELLING THE CONTENTS THEREFROM COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING PARALLEL SPACED SIDE WALLS AND A PAIR OF ROLLERS HAVING THEIR ENDS MOUNTED IN SAID SIDE WALLS FOR ROTATION ABOUT THEIR OWN AXIS, ONE OF SAID ROLLERS HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN THE CLOSED FLATTENED END PORTION OF SAID COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, A GUIDE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FROM SAID SIDE WALLS FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT ABOUT ITS AXIS POSITIONED PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM SAID ONE ROLLER, THE OTHER ROLLER POSITIONED AND SPACED CONTIGUOUS TO AND IN COOPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID GUIDE PLATE FOR SQUEEZING FROM SAID COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ITS CONTENTS AS IT PROGRESSIVELY MOVES THERETHROUGH, SAID GUIDE PLATE HAVING THE PORTION ADJACENT ONE END CONTIGUOUS TO SAID ONE ROLLER, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID GUIDE PLATE SO THAT SAID CONTIGUOUS END PLATE PORTION BEARS AGAINST SAID COLLAPSIBLE TUBE WHEN ITS END PORTION THEREOF IS RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT IN SAID ONE ROLLER. 